Tears of Undine
by Haus of Lexy
Summary: After a tragic loss, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is having trouble coping after she is forced to move from the busy streets of Paris, to Porqueolles, an island. An unfortunate slip and fall into a cave unlocks more than she ever thought possible about her new home, her family, and the sea that binds it all together. (mermaid au)
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: MIRACULOUS LADYBUG AND ALL OF ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ZAGTOON AND THOMAS ASTRUC AND NOT ME. THE PLOT EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN ASPECTS AND CHARACTERS CREATED BY ME BELONG TO ME.

Okay! So to everyone that read my update on my Trials by Nature fanfiction, I previously stated that I was gonna be writing a new Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction (or two) as well as working on Trials by Nature in the background by getting all of my plot bunnies in a row before I start writing and screw up because of tiny details. This concept has been on my mind for quite a while, and I realized that quite a few of this type of AU has been popping up in MLB fanfiction lately. I'm a big fan of this genre and I hope that my spin on it is something that you as my readers will enjoy. Be warned, there are certain aspects included in this story that are from certain TV shows and/or movies. While this usually makes me cringe because of various cliches, there are some that are based off of legends and new ones that I find fascinating and would love to mingle together.

Without further ado, welcome to my newest story:

 _ **Tears of Undine**_

 _Summary: After a tragic loss, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is having trouble coping after she is forced to move from the busy streets of Paris, to Bora Bora, an island resort. An unfortunate slip and fall into a cave unlocks more than she ever thought possible about her new home, her family, and the sea that binds it all together._

...

The sound of the pilot's voice announcing the plane's landing jolted Marinette awake from her fitful sleep. Instead of waking up to the familiar pink ceiling of the bedroom she grew up in, and the smells from her father's bakery a few floors down, she awoke to cramped seating and the stench of a diaper that sorely needed changing from the child seated behind her. She sighed, her body sinking even deeper into the uncomfortable seat she was allotted for the duration of her trip. Her head turned toward the small window on her right, but she could see nothing but the early morning darkness of the sky and water.

Seeing the light to buckle her seatbelt, she complied, nearly toppling over the tray from her neighbor's meal. She ignored the stink eye she got from the irate man, but mumbled an apology. Evidently, the flight attendants had gotten a bit lazy. While brushing any debris from her clothes, she admired the bracelet on her wrist. It was the first professional piece of jewelry she'd ever made, even capturing the attention of Jagged Stone, who commissioned her for a unique piece for his upcoming music video. She was paid handsomely for the commission, and was later commissioned again for designing the cover for his latest album, making her somewhat of a local celebrity in Paris.

Her father had been thrilled, going so far as to close the bakery early and treat her to her favorite restaurant. He'd supported her love of designing from the very beginning, even using the logo she'd designed for their new bakery window when it was broken during a storm. His fervor for baked goods and family was well known and appreciated in Paris. He was popular, he was kind, the size of his heart outmatched the intimidation of the size of his frame. He was funny, he was her hero, he was the father that any little girl would dream of having.

And now...

He was gone.

Aware that her eyes were watering, she quickly wiped away her tears. Thankfully, if the slight turbulence was any clue, she'd be at her new destination soon enough. Once the plane landed, she slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and grabbed her carry-on bag. She began making her way to the ailse when she heard something fall. Looking behind her, she saw that her locket had fallen and openend. Inside, a picture of her father, herself as an infant, and her mother stared back at her. She'd never known her mother, her having passed away just a few months after she was born. Her father didn't have pictures of her save the one in the locket, claiming that he always saw her in Marinette. Though, she could never miss the flash of pain in the usually jolly man's eyes, and knew that in reality it was probably too painful for him to have reminders of what they both lost.

The sound of someone dropping their bag nearby shook her from her thoughts, and she quickly picked it up and put it back around her neck, reasoning that it'd probably loosened in her sleep. After a moment of making sure nothing else was accidentally left behind, she made her way out of the plane. When she arrived the sun was just beginning to rise, the dark sky gradually lightening with hues of lavender, orange and yellow. Her fingers itched for her sketchbook to start sketching a new design, and she nearly gave into the urge when she heard impatient passengers behind her trying to get around her to exit the gate, carrying the last of her luggage from below. She quickly moved, heading towards the area where she could pick up the rest of her luggage. When she got her suitcase, she quickly headed to the exit where she would be picked up and taken to her aunt's house. As she walked, she thought about the last conversation she had with her uncle, who'd taken her on a boat ride the day before her flight.

 _"Good morning, ma puce."_

 _He opens his arms for a hug, and Marinette steps into it with a small laugh. "I'm too big to be a flea now M. Durand."_

 _"Ah ah, none of that formal talk. We're practically family," he said. She couldn't deny it, Charles Durand had been around since she was in diapers, and one of her father's oldest and trusted friends. He'd been more than gracious to her, giving her a home when her own had become a crime scene._

 _He sighed, and patted her head. "I just wish that the courts would see it that way, instead of making you come all the way out there to people you don't know...They could have at least let you stay so you could start your terminale year in your old school back home. To uproot your entire life to somewhere far away after that salaud-"_

 _He stopped himself, stepping away from her and running a hand through what remained of his greying red hair, the stress no doubt taking its toll. He let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms, toned from years of hard work as a fisherman. "I just don't see how they could make you move away when you have family right here, willing to take you in. To be forced to move after everything that's happened is like a slap in the face. For God's sake, your father had it in his will! But..."_

 _He sighed again, as he looked towards the horizon. "I guess blood always trumps anyone else's good intentions in family court, no matter how much you try..."_

 _Marientte's heart broke as she watched the man who helped raise her, pretend like he wasn't wiping away tears; Tears that weren't just for losing his best friend, but for also losing the girl he considered one of his own children. He turned to her then, a broken smile on his face._

 _"You know if you want to come home, all you gotta do is say the word and I'll be here to pick you up. Damn the courts, what matters is that you're happy. I'll be filleted and served with lemon and butter before I leave you somewhere you ain't happy to be. But for your sake, I'm willing to let this go and give you a chance at a clean slate. And hey, its an island! At least you get to swim as much as you want. Fun in the sun sounds nice, hell I might even visit and get myself a tan!"_

 _She giggled, appreciating his efforts to cheer her up. Despite not wanting to leave Paris, there were some upsides. She wouldn't have to see those pitying looks from people anymore. Her tragedy became local news. Unsurprising when her father was so well known and loved in Paris. The man who took her father's life was not one of his fans. In fact, he used to work for her father, but the normally jolly man was forced to dismiss the employee for shirking his duties. It was a good thing too, the man had always creeped her out and he leered at her every chance he got, even hitting on her a few times. He'd been given a lot of chances to improve before he was terminated, but he never took them seriously and continued to be a thorn in her father's business. He begged for his job back but her normally forgiving father refused, stating that his business thrived on trust and that he'd violated that trust._

 _A few days after that, he'd broken into their home and shot her father dead._

 _Luckily for her, she'd spent the night sleeping over a friend's house. When the police talked to her, they'd found evidence that he'd broken into her room and gone through her things. She didn't even want to think about what would've happened if she'd actually been there..._

 _The sound of her name shook her from her thoughts, as an arm wrapped around her shoulders._

 _"Hey Mari you alright?"_

 _Looking up, she met the brown eyes of Louis, Charles' eldest son. Looking for the captain, she spotted him at the wheel, realizing he'd taken over for his son. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay Lou."_

 _The elder boy sighed in relief and brushed the shaggy red hair from his forehead. "Good, I thought yer brain jumped ship instead of you. Had to make sure." He said, his grin covering up any concern he might have had._

 _She huffed and elbowed him in the side, finding satisfaction when he recoiled and grabbed his side. He gave her a dirty look, though it lacked any anger whatsoever. "I see you still have blades for elbows."_

 _"And you still have caterpillars for eyebrows."_

 _"Hey, ladies love the eyebrows. They can't keep their hands off me."_

 _"Probably because they're having trouble pushing you away."_

 _His jaw dropped before he promptly doubled over in laughter, and she couldn't help but laugh along with him. She would miss this, the playful jabs and sibling rivalry, the feeling of family. She could only hope that where she was going, she could develop the same relationship._

 _Louis recovered from his laughter and sighed, ruffling her hair. "I'm gonna miss ya girlie. You and yer sharp elbows."_

 _She giggled, but she quieted once she saw the serious look on his face. "Lou?"_

 _"I'm sure Pops already said it, but if you wanna come home..."_

 _"Yeah, I know." Marinette smiled, "I'm gonna miss you guys."_

 _"There's always phones and letters, and you can always come visit. Hell we'll come visit you. Looks like a nice place to do business that's for sure. And while we're there, you can sing the fish to our nets."_

 _"Lou, I'm not that good." She says, a bit self consciously._

 _"Oh please, yer great girlie. Besides, yer dad's customers always thought so. If uncle Tom didn't make such good food, I'd say they came to see you."_

 _She snorted, rolling her eyes and nudging him with her hip. "Yeah right. Besides, right now what I need to be focusing on is school. Its gonna suck having to be the new kid. I grew up with my old classmates."_

 _"Oh, speaking of which." Louis ran to where Marinette's luggage was placed and removed a package that she hadn't previously noticed. When he came back he put it in her arms. "Going away present."_

 _"Lou..." She said, trying desperately to keep the tears from spilling over. It was enough that they'd given her a home and a ride, but a gift was just too much._

 _"Nope. Its yours, I've washed my hands of it. I can't do anything with it but I know you'll make good use out of it. But don't open it until you get to yer new place. I'll know if you do."_

 _"Are yer eyebrows psychic? Cuz that's the only way I'd believe that."_

 _It wasn't Marinette who'd spoken, but Charles from the wheel, who laughed as his son's face turned red with anger. "You take that back old man! My eyebrows are perfectly fine!"_

 _"Eyebrows like that ain't natural Lou."_

 _"Neither is premature balding but we don't rag on you fer that!"_

 _"Why you little-!"_

 _Their argument was cut off by Marinette's laughter, and all anger was forgotten as they took in the sight of the girl they both loved like family get a momentary relief from her grief. And it made everything worth it._

...

After a tearful goodbye, and plenty of promises to write and keep touch, Marinette watched as the only family she knew waved to her as she boarded the plane to her new home. Checking her watch, she frowned a bit. It was passed the time for someone to pick her up and take her to her aunt's house, Bridgette Cheng.

Marinette couldn't help but be a bit bitter after hearing that she had an aunt in the south of France. Supposedly, Bridgette was her mother's younger sister, and when the matter of custody came up in family court she had put her bid in to take over Marinette's care. Charles had been blindsided, and viciously fought with Bridgette's lawyer, (as for some reason Bridgette couldn't make the trip to Paris herself) over her custody. Charles brought her father's will, which coincided with his wishes that Marinette be taken into Charles' care if something were to happen to him.

Unfortunately, Bridgette's lawyer also had a will from Marinette's mother, Sabine Cheng, that stated that she wished Marinette be raised in Porquerolles. It was revealed that there had been an ongoing court case concerning Marinette's custody since she was 3 years old. She couldn't believe that her father had never told her she had an aunt, nor that he'd been fighting with her to keep Marinette with him. Evidently, Bridgette had been thwarted by the courts since she was her aunt and not one of her parents.

That changed when her father died. Once the issue of her custody came up again, she jumped at the chance to bring Marinette to Porquerolles, with much better results than her previous attempts. Her mother's will had been filed long before her father's had, making his wish for Charles to take care of her null and void. Fortunately for Marinette, that didn't apply to her inheritance, which included all of her father's assets, his recipes, and a sum of 70,000 euros. None of which could be touched until she turned 18.

Her father was always looking out for her, even when he was no longer able to. And as soon as she graduated, she was moving back home. Even if she had to rent out the bakery below, she would fight to keep it.

She sighed, and looked up when a black Ford truck pulled up in front of the exit, the exhaust pipe spewing a bit of foul smoke, and making some people back away from the stench. She really hoped that wasn't her ride, but her hopes where dashed when she a poorly made sign with her name on it in the windshield of the truck. The driver stepped out, revealing a blonde young man in a black tank top with a white over shirt. At least that's what she saw of him anyway, as he had yet to come around the side of the truck. He seemed to be looking for something under his seat. Figuring she should give him a hand, as he was doing her a favor, she went over to the truck.

"Um, excuse me?"

The blonde, startled by her voice shot up in surprise, hitting his head on the steering wheel and letting out a muffled curse.

"Oh! Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She said, wincing at the sound of his head colliding with the steering wheel.

"Its okay," he said, his voice rough from pain. He carefully backed up to avoid hitting his head again, but had to dodge an oncoming car from the opposite side of the road since he'd stepped out too far. His hasty movement tangled his legs together and he ended up falling on his back.

Marinette could only watch and cringe. The man was like a car accident. It was terrible, but she just couldn't look away. "Um, are you-"

"I'm okay!" He said, standing with his back toward her. He brushed himself off. "I'm okay, this happens all the time. Just a bit of bad luck."

"Oh, yeah I get that." She said. Quite a bit of bad luck it seemed. She didn't even have the heart to tell him that his clean white shirt had a big oil stain on the back of it, no doubt from his fall.

"So!" He said, and then turned around as he continued to talk. "You must be Marinette, right?"

Marinette admitted to herself that she hadn't heard anything else he said after 'So!'. The man was _gorgeous_. His crown of blonde hair gleamed like spun gold in the mid morning sun. His green eyes were bright and beautiful. His jaw was sculpted by the gods, of that she was absolutely certain. His smile practically blinded her with its brilliance. He was tall, much taller than her, and from what she could see, a body not unlike that of a carved Grecian statue; absolutely flawless. Simply put, everything about him was perfect.

Something moved in front of her face and she realized that it was his hand. "Uh, you okay? You kinda spaced out on me."

She blinked, and felt her face turn hot. No doubt that it was bright red in embarrassment. "U-Um, yeah I'm o-okay! S-So, you're here to t-take me to my a-aunt's house?"

He looked content at her answer, but if he noticed anything wrong because of her sudden stutter he kept it to himself. "Yeah, sorry I was late. I had to make a delivery first. I'm Adrien Agreste." He said, offering his hand for her to shake.

She smiled and shook his hand, her cheeks still a bit warm. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Its nice to m-meet you Adrien."

He smiled, and she wasn't sure if the sun had suddenly gotten brighter or if he had suddenly become the sun.

She really regrets not having freshened up in the bathroom before meeting him. At the very least, brushed her teeth and put on some makeup.

"Likewise, I'm just sorry its not on better terms. I'm sorry for your loss."

She nodded and he turned toward her luggage. "Is that everything?"

"Yeah, I'll hel-"

"Nope, I'll do it. You've had quite a journey. It wouldn't be right to let you do any of the heavy lifting." He smiled again, and made his way to her bags like he hadn't just made her heart melt right out of her chest.

He quickly loaded her luggage into the bed of the truck, which she wasn't paying attention to because she absolutely _refused_ to be so thirsty that she'd take joy in watching his muscles flex or blush when he grunted in exertion. She had standards.

"Are you sure I can't help?"

"Absolutely." he said, his voice husky from his heavy lifting. "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I did. Besides, I'm already done." He went to the passenger's side and opened the door for her, a smile on his face. "Ladies first."

Aquafina.

Aqaufina brand water was her standards because _shit_.

In her (lack of) experience, nobody who was that beautiful was a gentleman at the same time. It was either they were gorgeous and snobby, or they were only polite until they scored, leaving broken hearts everywhere they went. Even women did it, but as Adrien helped her into the truck, she got the feeling that he wasn't the type to use others for his own gain.

"All set?" He asked, the brightness of his smile not dampened by the shadow of the truck as he leaned in to check her over for any discomfort.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks Adrien."

He smiled even wider, and Marinette prayed that he couldn't hear her heartbeat increase, or feel the heat from her cheeks. But as he leaned in closer, she caught a whiff of something foul, and it must've showed on her face because he immediately backed up and rubbed the back of his neck in what she knew was embarrassment, if his red cheeks were any indication.

"Sorry about the smell, that delivery I mentioned was about fifty pounds of Camembert cheese. Warm Camembert cheese thanks to the sun."

She immediately felt bad, and scrambled to make him feel better. "No no it's okay! I understand, you were just doing your job. You shouldn't feel bad. I haven't brushed my teeth since I got on the plane!"

She froze then, her mind finally catching up to her mouth as she realized exactly what she just said.

Well, shit.

Not only did she say he stunk, but she just admitted that she had atrocious morning breath.

If her intention had been to not only offend the Adonis like boy about his smell, but to embarrass herself and destroy whatever chance she ever had to socially and possibly romantically interact with him in the future, she just friggin' _NAILED IT._

She heard him laugh, and immediately covered her bright red face in shame, until she felt his very large, very nice hands settle gently on her shoulders.

"Hey hey, don't be like that. I wasn't laughing at you, just the situation. By the way, even if your breath smelled as bad as you say, which it doesn't by the way," He paused to wink at her. "I wouldn't have noticed either way. I've been delivering Camembert in this truck for so long that it overrides any other scent within twenty feet of it. And like you said, I shouldn't feel bad, and neither should you. So," He said, offering his fist for a fistbump. "We shouldn't let small things like smell bring our mood down. From now on, if one of us feels bad, we should try our best to make the other smile. Deal?"

She stared at his crooked grin, and then the fist he held out to her and smiled back, gently bumping his fist with hers. "Deal."

"Bien joue." He said, winking at her as he gently closed her door and made his way to the driver's side of the truck, where Marinette promptly remembered the giant oil stain on the back of his shirt. "Wait-!"

The sound of the squish from the oil coming into contact with the old leather seat, was unpleasant, and Adrien hung his head in exasperation as he realized exactly what happened. Remembering his early words, Marinette sheepishly held out her fist. "Bien joue?"

He lifted his head, and laughed, the sound warming her entire being as he straightened in his seat and bumped his fist with hers. "Bien joue."

...

The ride to her aunt Bridgette's home comforting to say the least. At first, the silence between them was awkward, but the more time they spent together, the more confident she became as she began to ask questions about her new home. He spoke about the town and its people, described any landmarks they passed, and even the high school. She noticed his excitement about the school and when she asked, he shared that this was his second year attending. Apparently, he'd been homeschooled most of his life and had finally convinced his overprotective father the year before to allow him attend school.

He got silent after that, a somberness she had become well acquainted with since the loss of her father had taken over his face. However, he quickly returned to his happy demeanor and reminded herself not to ask much about his home life unless he was willing to share.

As they got closer to their destination, she noticed that they were somewhat secluded from most of the population. They weren't too far from the village they'd passed through on their way, which Marinette considered a good thing. She wasn't really extroverted but even she got the need to get out of the house once in a while. Considering the distance, she'd probably have to get up early for school in order to make it on time if she had to walk.

Adrien pulled off of the dirt road they were on and up to a decent sized house near a secluded beach. Waiting in front of the house was a woman, who she assumed was her aunt Bridgette since she looked remarkably similar to the picture of her, and a severe looking blonde man with green eyes. Upon seeing them pull up, Bridgette began wiggling in excitement while simultaneously shaking the exasperated looking man next to her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned in surprise. Adrien immediately withdrew his hand, a sheepish looking on his face. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to spook you."

Marinette sighed, and gave a small smile. "No, its okay. I guess I'm just nervous. I've never known that I even had an aunt before all of this. I don't want to make a bad impression..."

He chuckled, nodding his head towards the excited woman. "I know Bridgette Cheng, I highly doubt that's even possible. She's really excited to meet you, and from what I've heard, she's wanted this for a long time. Its unfortunate that your first meeting came out of a tragedy, but at least you've got family that wants you and loves you despite not knowing you."

She nodded, and despite her apprehension and bitterness, she decided that she shouldn't start off her clean slate with bad feelings. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she smiled. "Okay. Will you introduce me at least?"

"Of course." He offered his fist, and she eagerly fist bumped him.

Taking another deep breath, Marinette finally exited the truck and smoothed down her dress. It was bad enough that she hadn't been able freshen up, she refused to look even more un-presentable in front of her aunt and the man she was with. She stepped forward and the closer she got, the more excited her aunt became, enough to finally snap as he quickly and brutally whacked her on the head. "Stop being an idiot!"

Marinette felt her hackles rise in anger. She didn't know the man but he'd just assualted her aunt, and despite not knowing her either she wasn't gonna stand for that. She was about to speak when her aunt's hand suddenly shot up, returning an even harsher blow to the back of the man's head. "Dammit Felix! That hurt!"

"Ow! Dammit you idiot! If you'd stop shaking me like a moron I wouldn't have resorted to violence! I can see that she's here I have eyes dammit!"

Bridgette pouted, until she got a look at her niece's face and immediately felt regret. "Oh! Oh don't be alarmed! This is how we always act!"

Marinette's face relaxed, and she sighed somewhat in exasperation and in relief before offering her hand. "Hi, I'm Marinette-"

She was interrupted when instead of a handshake, she was instead engulfed into a warm hug, her aunt's arms trembling as she felt the beginning of sobs starting. "Sweetie, I know exactly who you are," she said, her voice watery from unfallen tears. "And I've missed you so much...Welcome home Marinette."

Unknowingly, Marinette had began to cry, the silent tears rolling down her face. And as she embraced Bridgette back, trembling even harder from the stress of it all, she couldn't help but feel that this island could be home just as much as Paris had been.

...

All aboard the angst train! WOO! WOO!

Don't forget to tell me what you guys think by commenting!

See you guys on the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: MIRACULOUS LADYBUG AND ALL OF ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ZAGTOON AND THOMAS ASTRUC AND NOT ME. THE PLOT EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN ASPECTS AND CHARACTERS CREATED BY ME BELONG TO ME.

 _Summary: After a tragic loss, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is having trouble coping after she is forced to move from the busy streets of Paris, to Porqueolles, an island. An unfortunate slip and fall into a cave unlocks more than she ever thought possible about her new home, her family, and the sea that binds it all together._

...

Bridgette flounced around the house, babbling a mile a minute about how excited she was that Marinette was there, while Marinette herself looked around her new home. While she'd been busy during her and her aunt's emotional encounter outside, she hadn't gotten a good look at the size of the house. Now that she was inside, however, she was realizing just how nice it was. Large windows let in plenty of light, driftwood furniture, white paint and the high ceilings made the admittedly large house seem like a well furnished mansion. The kitchen and living room had an open floor plan, letting even more light in from the sliding glass doors that led to an outdoor sitting area with a stunning view of the ocean. Surprisingly, the house was quite close to some of the low cliffs that lead down to a small hidden beach.

In other words, the house was absolutely stunning.

"Well that's nearly everything! So are you ready for- Sweetie? Are you okay? You just blanked out..."

Marinette blinked, and realized that while she'd been admiring the decor, she'd forgotten to pay attention to the tour.

Just great. She'd hoped that she didn't have to pee soon or she'd be in deep shit.

"Oh! Oh I'm sorry I was just...Um, you have a beautiful home?" Marinette laughed nervously, an embarrassed blush on her face for being caught unawares.

Bridgette smiled, though Marinette got the feeling that she knew exactly why she blanked out. "Thank you sweetie, but it's also your home. Don't be afraid to ask where everything is if you get lost okay? Or for anything really. This is your home too, and I want you to feel welcome here."

As much as Marinette wanted to hang onto the bitterness she felt at being forced to live here, she felt that she couldn't without feeling really guilty. Her aunt was making a real effort to make her feel wanted, loved, and welcome, and to be upset with her for wanting to reconnect with who she suspected was her only family left, sounded petty, something that she refused to be.

So instead of feeling bitterness, she felt grateful, and nodded her agreement before looking around to see where they were. "So, where are we now?"

Bridgette seemed to remember where they were at that moment, so caught up in her emotions that she blushed. "Oh! Right! Well, I've heard that you like to design clothes, so I cleared out one of my storage rooms and well, welcome to your new room!"

Now initially when Marinette heard the words 'storage room', she'd thought that it'd be some closed in room with no windows with a twin bed.

She was sorely mistaken.

The theme of driftwood was clearly a favorite, as it seemed that the floors and beams on the ceiling were made of repurporsed driftwood. The walls were painted pink, her favorite color, and some of her things that were sent ahead of her were already set up and ready for use. It felt like her room from Paris had almost been upgraded into this amazing room here. It was when she noticed the large window that viewed the ocean did she realize exactly which room they were in. She immediately ran to the window, almost pressing her face against the glass. "This is the attic?"

Bridgetted nodded and smiled wide, practically all of her pearl white teeth showing. "I heard that your old room was in an attic, so I wanted to make this feel as much like home as you're used to. I couldn't get the loft bed because of the slanted ceiling, but I hope you'll still like what I've put together. And there's enough space for your things, and enough room for you to store things to design your clothes. Do you like it?"

Did she like it? Of course not. She _loved_ it. Everything reminded her of home and even more. The gratefulness she felt before her aunt opened that door didn't even compare to what she felt now. Bridgette Cheng was really trying. She must have really loved Marinette if she had fought this hard, and went through all of this trouble, just to get her there and make her feel welcome and loved. Going so far as to make things as close as she could to her old room, and even be considerate of her craft.

When Bridgette heard a sniffle, of course she'd thought that she'd somehow messed up and felt disappointment weigh on her heart. But when she felt the weight of someone collide into her with a fierce hug, she realized that she'd done something monumentally right. And she couldn't be more grateful for it.

...

* * *

Later that night, Bridgette proposed that they go out to dinner to celebrate Marinette's arrival. On the ride there, her aunt began to go into more about herself. Apparently, Bridgette wasn't all sunshine and an airhead, as the elder woman seemed to be. She was also extremely observant. As Marinette donned her favorite white flower print dress and put on light makeup, she wasn't spared the knowing look Bridgette gave her as her face turned red. As it turns out, Bridgette knows Adrien's boss, who owns a small restaurant in town, his only other passion besides camembert cheese Bridgette remarked. Before the tour of the house, Adrien had gotten a call from work and had to leave without giving a proper goodbye. While she felt sad, Marinette knew that Adrien would have stayed if he could. She also realized that while she was disappointed that he had to go, she didn't want to come off as some clingy brat, and let him go with a smile, a fistbump, and a wave.

As Felix drove them, (who lived nearby to "keep an eye on his favorite spazz", his words)Bridgette began to talk to Marinette about her work. She never thought that the slight woman who was her aunt, would be one of the best treasure hunters around, and as Marinette remembered what she could of the tour of the house, Bridgette Cheng was very good at her job. Felix remained mostly silent, but chimed in a few times, mostly to scold Bridgette and get into small arguments with her. Despite their fighting, Marinette could tell that they cared deeply for each other. While she couldn't confirm if they were dating or not, the chemistry was definitely there.

When they pulled up to the restaurant, Marinette could tell that it was more like a hole in the wall kind of place, but still very popular with the locals.

"Marinette, before we go in, I just wanna warn you about the smell."

Marinette turned to her, her eyes full of concern and slight disgust. "The smell? Is this place unsanitary or something?"

Bridgette laughed, shaking her head. "Oh don't worry, Plagg is very serious about food safety and cleanliness. Remember what I said about the camembert cheese? He stores most of it in the back, but the smell kinda leaks into the the restaurant. The smell won't cling once we leave, but the scent takes some getting used to."

Marinette sighed in relief and nodded, and walked in as Felix held the door for both of them. Just as Bridgette warned, the smell hit her like a fist to the nose. Bridgette snickered, immediately noticing the green tinge Marinette's face had taken. "Told you so."

Trying her best to ignore the smell, and finding it getting easier by the minute, she followed Felix and Bridgette to a table near the center of the room, where a dark skinned boy with glasses and a red cap came over, a pen and small pad open and ready to take their order.

"Welcome to Le Chat Noir, please don't mind the smell-"

Marinette giggled, not meaning to interrupt the waiter's introduction but unwittingly catching his attention nonetheless. Once he realized who was at the table, the formality was gone and a huge smile overtook his face. "Well if it ain't Bridgette and Felix, and-I'm sorry who are you?" He said, his attention back on Marinette.

Before Marinette could answer, they were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Marinette!"

She turned, and a smile and blush blossomed onto her face as Adrien, dressed the same as their waiter came over to stand by Marinette and offer his fist for a fistbump, which she readily returned with her own.

"Whoa whoa, hold the phone, you two know each other?"

"Nino, this is Bridgette's niece, the one I was telling you about. You know, the one that Bridgette's been talking about for like a month?"

The boy's, now known as Nino, face lit up in recognition before offering Marinette a smile. "Oh that's right! Hey, I'm Nino Lahiffe, part time waiter, part time DJ, and full time best bud to Adrien Agreste here." He said, as he offered Marinette his hand to shake.

She took his hand and shook, glad to know another person her own age. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's nice to meet you Nino."

"Likewise. My man Adrien wasn't kidding, you really are pretty."

Both teens teens faces turned red, before Felix chimed in, cutting the conversation short. "Can we get back to ordering food now?"

Bridgette elbowed Felix in the ribs, who doubled over in pain. "Don't be rude! Marinette is making friends."

While they all laughed, Marinette could swear she felt eyes on her and turned around, barely missing a brown haired girl's gaze as she quickly turned her own head. She too turned back around, not wanting to seem rude, but the feeling quickly came back. This time Marinette resolved to ignore it. It was uncomfortable, but she refused to engage any person that wanted to be alone. She just wished the girl would stop staring holes into the back of her head-

"Marinette, did you decide on what to order?"

Damn it.

Mentally returning to the conversation, she quickly glanced over the menu and became unsure of what she had a taste for. "Um..."

"Not sure?" Adrien said, bending over to get a closer look at the menu.

Marinette shook her head. "Any suggestions?"

"Hmmm..." Adrien scanned the menu, running his finger over the selections before stopping on a selection. "This one."

She quickly read what he picked. "Ratatouille?"

"Yeah. Its one of my favorite dishes, plus its supposed to help cheer you up. And with everything going on, you could use some cheering up, right?"

Marinette felt touched, and nodded, smiling up at the thoughtful boy. "Y-Yeah, thanks Adri-"

"Adrikins!"

Nearly every head turned to see a blonde haired girl with a pony tail and designer clothes practically shove everyone out of the way to get to Adrien, who's skin appeared to have lost all color. "H-Hey Chloe..."

"Oh boy, here we go..." Nino said, heading back to the kitchen to drop off their orders.

Once the girl, apparently named Chloe made it to Adrien, she practically jumped into his arms and placed big kiss on his cheek. Adrien, to his credit, appeared to not take any pleasure in the kiss, or even the girl's company as he tried subtley yet almost desperately to remove himself from her grasp. "What are you doing here Chloe, you know Plagg doesn't like people loitering around if they're not ordering anything..."

"Ugh, as if I would order anything from this dinky place. I don't even know why you still work here. You could always work at my daddy's hotel, then you could see me all the time! I feel like we don't see each other anymore Adrikins." Chloe said, batting her false eyelashes at the even paler boy.

"Chloe," he said, sighing, "I already told you. I LIKE working here. It's fun."

"Isn't seeing me all the time fun?"

Thankfully, before Adrien could answer the question, Nino came back with their drinks and a pitcher of water. "Here's your drinks folks. Your food will be out shortly."

Adrien sighed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, Chloe, I think it's time for you to go. If Plagg catches you here-"

"What can he do? I'm the mayor's daughter remember?"

"But this is his place of business, and he has every right to not want you here if you aren't a customer Chloe."

"Ugh, fine. If being here with these people," she said as she gazed around at the occupants at the table, before her eyes landed on Marinette, narrowing in suspicion. "Uh, who are you?"

Thankfully, before Marinette could snap back at the girl's disgusted tone, Adrien answered for her. "Oh right! Chloe this is Marinette. She's new to the island. Marinette this is Chloe, the mayor's daughter-"

"And his closest friend." She answered with a haughty tone and smirk, as if her relationship with the blonde boy meant she was above Marinette.

Yeah not likely.

"Yeah you're wrong about that Chloe, I'm Adrien's best bud." Nino said, coming back with the table's orders and setting them down. He never did like how the blonde tried to claim ownership over his best bud, and frequently became the spine that Adrien didn't have to tell her she was wrong. Not that he minded.

"Oh please. Adrien and I have known each other since we were babies."

"And back then I'm sure if he could have ran, he would have."

"Nino!" Adrien admonished, but Marinette snorted in amusement, which immediately caught the blonde girl's attention. "Oh, you think that's funny you nobody?"

"Watch your mouth Chloe, that's my niece you're talking to." Bridgette said, who was content to stay silent until the brat decided to target her niece.

"Oh! So she's double the nobody then. How unfortunate."

"Excuse you, but I'm definitely not a nobody." Marinette said. "I also know that I'm not a spoiled brat who thinks she can get away with everything just because her daddy has money."

Chloe's face turned red with anger before she spotted the pitcher on the table, promptly grabbed it, and emptied it over Marinette's head, completely dousing her with icy water."

"Oops, my hand slipped." She said, before laughing.

"CHLOE!" Adrien yelled, catching the attention of everyone in the restauarnt. "That's it! Leave, now!"

"But Adrikins! She insulted me! You heard her!"

"You insulted her first Chloe, and that's no reason to dump water on her! Out, now!"

The blonde pouted, before looking at Marinette's soaked form and grinning. "Fine, at least this little nobody knows her place now." Chloe sauntered out of the restaurant as if she did nothing wrong, while Nino raced over with a towel. "I can't believe she did that."

"Marinette," Adrien said. "I'm so sorry..."

Marinette then stood up, her hair covering her eyes. "No Adrien. I'm sorry. Sorry for ever thinking coming here would be a good idea." She then raced out, covering herself as best she could so her underwear wouldn't show through the white fabric of her now ruined dress. She ignored the multiple cries of her aunt and Adrien to come back, and decided against trying to go back to the house. She'd never make it back without getting lost.

She stopped once she got far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant and found that she was near the woods. Against everything screaming at her to go back and give everything a second chance, she decided that she didn't want to be found right now. She wanted to be alone with her feelings, feelings of anger, sadness, self pity and regret. As she walked towards the trees, she couldn't believe just how bad her first day of her new life ended. Being soaked by some rich daddy's girl that believed she was God's gift to everyone. Given the stink eye by some other girl she didn't even know, and now all she wanted to do was go back to Paris and be around the family she already knew.

She wasn't blind, she'd seen the look on Bridgette's face when she said what she said back at the restaurant. She'd hurt her, and through the tidal wave of bad feelings, seeing Bridgette's face crumple with hurt stood out the most. And after everything she'd done to make her feel welcome in her home. Bridgette must think she was an ungrateful brat...

Deciding to stop her trek, she halted near what looked to be a small cave. Naturally curiousity took over and she looked inside, noticing that instead of flat ground, the cave instead sloped down at an angle. Since it was dark, she couldn't tell how far down it went, but she definitely didn't want to take any chances of falling in-

Suddenly, Marinette felt herself being pushed forward by two hands on her back. When she tried to gain her footing she ended up twisting around, falling backwards into the cave, and only catching a glimpse of the person who pushed her; Brown hair.

She screamed, tumbling deeper and deeper into the cave before finally hitting the bottom, pain exploding in her arm and head before she blacked out.

...

* * *

Suffice to say, when Marinette came to her senses, the first thing she sensed was pain in her arm and head. She groaned, then coughed when she breathed in sand instead of fresh air. She stood up on shakey legs, and felt her arm and head, thankfully noting a lack of blood, but both body parts were tender to the touch, and she feared she might have a concussion. She tried looking around her, but it was pitch black. Using her undamaged arm, she felt around for her phone and found it in her pocket, and switch the flashlight on. She couldn't remember much, but she did remember that the cave had been open when she saw it. When she pointed the light towards the opening however, fear began to overtake her.

The entrance was closed.

A better look showed that the entrance had been covered by several rocks. Rocks that hadn't been there previously.

She began to remember things as her panic increased. The incident at the restaurant, walking into the woods, the cave entrance, hands on her back...

Someone had pushed her in.

And then they shut off her escape.

Tears came pouring down her cheeks as she tried to fight off her even more heightened panic. She had to calm down. Its obvious now that someone had wanted to hurt her, had followed her and deliberately made it so she couldn't escape.

She aimed her light down from the entrance, and was happy to see that the ground was sloped. Her happiness soon faded when she realized her injuries would never allow her to make the climb, along with the loose sand. Even if she did, she had no way of knowing how many rocks were piled on outside the cave, and moving one could cause them to fall inwards on her, and potentially kill her.

Needless to say, she wasn't getting out the way she came in.

She wiped away her tears, there was no use crying. She needed to be calm and think rationally if she wanted to make it out of there alive. She refused to be on a milk carton.

Directing her light behind her, she was happy to see that the cave kept going on. Looking around, she found a stick. Sticking her phone into her dress so that it was pointed in front of her, she took the stick in her uninjured arm and began to drag it through the sand as she moved forward. She figured she should leave a trail for herself in case she got lost.

Luckily for her, the cave was pretty much straightforward, with no other openings for her to explore, until the cave opened up to tunnel. Tucking the stick under her arm, she took her phone out from her dress and began to look around the cavern. When she looked at the ground, she was suprised to see water. Using the stick she poked into the water until she could feel the bottom, and seeing a lack of fish or any other predators like sea snakes and eels, she deemed it safe enough to step into the water.

As she continued walking, she noticed that the water level steadily rose the farther in she ventured. Not only that, but she began to notice the cave got steadily brighter and brighter the closer she got to the end of it. The discovery of light made her hurry faster. Light in a cave usually meant two things. Either someone was down there with her, or natural light was coming into the cave through an opening.

An opening she could escape from.

In her haste, she ended up dropping the stick, but couldn't care to go back for it. She had a chance to get out. To get help. And the first thing she would do when she got out was apologize to Bridgette, who would probably never let her out of her sight again, but Marinette found that she could live with that. As long as she could get out, she'd be able to live through any and everything else.

As she finally reached the end, any and all hopes she had of escaping were dashed.

The light that she'd been seeing came from the top of the cavern, were a medium sized hole, much like an oculus, let in light from the moon which shined down on a small lake sized pool of water, making it glow.

Further observation showed that there was another opening in the water. Another possible way out if it led to the ocean.

Or a maze of tunnels for her to get lost and drown in.

Either way, she was stuck.

The panic that she'd been holding off exploded all at once as she burst into tears and sobs. The hole was too high up for her to climb, especially with her injured arm. She couldn't scream for help, lest she disturb the stalactites on the ceiling of the cave. And she didn't want to test the opening in the water. Who knows where it led, how deep it went, or what else lurked in there.

She was never getting out.

She walked a bit further, stepping further into the cavern. If she was gonna be trapped there, she might as well be where there was plenty of light. Unfortunately, when she'd dropped the stick earlier, she also forgot to check how deep the water was before she stepped.

And she fell.

She dropped her phone, and as she tried to paddle back to shore, she felt herself being pulled back down into the water. She screamed, and looked back expecting to see a shark trying to drag her down to devour her. But she saw nothing, only felt her self being tugged deeper and deeper into the water, until she could no longer stay above the surface.

Under the water, as she was being dragged into the depths, she could just make out the full moon shining down upon her from the oculus in the ceiling of the cave. And as the last of her breath left her lungs, she realized that she was no longer afraid as she sank deeper and deeper and deeper into her watery grave. She thought of Bridgette, and how sad she'll be when they never find her body. Adrien, who she could tell would always blame himself for her death. Her father, who would be happy to see her in heaven and sad that she died so soon. And her mother...

Maybe she would finally get to know her.

...

* * *

When she opened her eyes, at first the only thing she could see was blobs of color, and she could hear muffled voices that sounded like arguing. Apparently they noticed that she was waking up because the arguing immediately quieted and she could feel warm hands touch her face. She could hear a voice, a female voice repeat something over and over, until her frazzled mind began to understand bit by bit what the voice was saying.

"ette?"

"inette?"

"Marinette?"

She groaned and answered with a hum, realizing that her throat felt like sand paper, and was about to ask for water-

Water.

The cave.

She'd been trapped, no way out.

She fell.

Water.

Drowning.

She'd been drowning.

She sat up abruptly, nearly headbutting the woman, Bridgette, as she could now tell as her eyes were wide open. She began gasping for air and kicking, as if she could feel whatever had pulled her down to the depths grab hold of her again.

Not this time.

She would fight harder.

She could feel herself being grabbed, being pushed down and she just fought even harder, kicking, punching, twisting, whatever she could do to survive. She felt her fist make contact with something, and heard a pained shout, which stunned her enough to get her to stop moving long enough to be pinned down.

"Marinette! Marinette stop it's okay! You're safe!"

Bridgette, Marinette realized. Bridgette was talking to her. She opened her eyes, and looked around wildly, realizing that she was in her room, her new room at Bridgette's house, and that Bridgette was the one gently holding her face. Further observation showed that she was being held down by Adrien and a girl with reddish brown wavy hair and glasses. Felix, she noticed, was coming back in the room with a cloth held tightly over his nose, his face pinched in pain.

She looked back at Bridgette, who was now gently stroking her hair. "I'm okay?"

Bridgette nodded, a tearful smile spreading across her face. "You're okay."

"I'm not drowning?" Marinette said, her own voice growing watery as tears began to stream down her face, her voice hitching.

"No sweetie, you're not drowning. You're just fine."

Bridgette motioned for Adrien and the mystery girl to let her go, and once they did, Marinette sprung up and hugged Bridgette as tight as she could and sobbed.

She was safe.

She had escaped.

"I'm sorry Bridgette! I'm sorry I was being a brat and ran off! I'm sorry!"

Bridgette, ever the crybaby, cried right along with Marinette and told her she wasn't a brat and that she was sorry that she hadn't stopped Chloe in time from embarrassing her. Apologies were thrown left and right, and probably would have continued had Felix not stepped in.

"Marinette, I'm glad you're safe and that you're back. But can I get an apology for my nose?"

Marinette, blushed in embarrassment and apologized, realizing now that the hit she'd felt was her fist making contact with Felix's nose.

"Lighten up Felix! She didn't mean it! She thought she was dying!" Bridgette said, annoyed that Felix had ruined their moment.

"Yeah well she's not, and now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to see a doctor. She has a mean right hook and I think my nose is broken."

As Felix left, Bridgette rolled her eyes and hugged Marinette. "Don't worry about him. Despite his attitude, he's really glad you're safe. He was really worried about you."

Marinette nodded, but realized that some questions needed to be answered.

Like how the hell she wasn't dead.

"How did I get out? I thought I was trapped..."

"I think I can answer that one."

Marinette turned to see the mystery girl step up and give a small wave. "Hi, I'm Alya Cesaire. I'm sorry we had to meet like this. I'm the one who found you and got you out. I was night diving and that place is one of my favorite rest stops."

Marinette gave a small smile. "Thank you Alya. My name is-"

"Marinette, I know. I was there when that brat dumped that water on you. I just wish I could have slapped that smug look off of her face."

"And I'm sorry for that," Adrien said as he stepped forward. "I should have kicked Chloe out the first chance I got. Every time she comes there she always causes trouble. She's one of my oldest friends, and I didn't want to be rude, but when she did what she did, it crossed the line. I'm sorry Marinette. This is all my fault."

Marinette shook her head. "No it's not. Its her fault. No one told her to be a brat, she did that all on her own. She acts like she's above everyone else just because her dad is the mayor, and that she owns you."

"You'll get used to that," Alya said. "In the meantime, he's got great friends that'll be his spine, since the one he's got is a noodle." She said, grinning as Adrien frowned.

"Ha ha, very funny."

"I know, if Nino were here he'd think so too."

"Some friends I have."

Marinette giggled, but then coughed as her sore throat reared it's ugly head, and was immediately given a cup of water by Bridgette, who was fretting over her like a mother hen, making sure she wasn't hurt anywhere else, to which Marinette replied that she was fine. The only thing that hurt was her throat, but she could have sworn she had been hurt before. Was it her leg, or was it her arm? Her head? She couldn't remember. All she knew was that she was safe, she was fine, and she had family and friends who cared.

And that was all she needed.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: MIRACULOUS LADYBUG AND ALL OF ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ZAGTOON AND THOMAS ASTRUC AND NOT ME. THE PLOT EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN ASPECTS AND CHARACTERS CREATED BY ME BELONG TO ME.

Summary: After a tragic loss, Marinette Dupain-Cheng is having trouble coping after she is forced to move from the busy streets of Paris, to Porqueolles, an island. An unfortunate slip and fall into a cave unlocks more than she ever thought possible about her new home, her family, and the sea that binds it all together.

...

Just as Marinette had predicted, Bridgette refused to let her out of her sight. Everything that Marinette requested, Bridgette was ready and willing to fulfill without complaint, despite Marinette's own complaints that her aunt was doing too much. She'd even bought Marinette a new phone when Marinette realized that hers had been lost sometime in her adventure in the cave, to Marinette's horror. Bridgette however, had no problem purchasing and even paying for Marinette's phone and plan, stating the fact that Marinette had to have a way to communicate, especially after being trapped in the cave. So reluctantly, she accepted the brand new phone, which was the latest model.

Despite all of that, Marinette had practically healed overnight. Her throat no longer hurt, and she hadn't felt any lingering pain from when she'd fallen into the cave.

No, not fallen.

Pushed.

Of what little she could remember, that was one of the most prominent of her memories. Hands on her back, brown hair. It'd been dark so she couldn't make out their face, not completely anyway. What she could remember, was effeminate features. So either a really girly looking guy, or in fact a girl had pushed her into the cave. For what reason, she didn't know. She'd only just gotten to the island the previous day, not long enough to make any enemies.

Well, except Chloe.

As much as she wanted to point the finger at the whiny brat, Chloe had blonde hair, not brown.

Darn.

At the very least, Adrien had come by to check on her and continue to apologize for Chloe's behavior. Why the boy continued to be the brat's friend, she had no idea, but was reminded that he didn't really have the spine to completely break away from her.

Though that didn't mean he liked being in her presence, if his behavior was any clue.

Despite all of that, Marinette was just glad to be safe again. Her drowning episode had put her off of going to the beach anytime soon, or the woods for that matter, to her new friends' disappointment. While disappointed, they understood why she would want to keep her distance from the water for now, and didn't pressure her to join them when they planned to go on beach outings.

As she got ready for the day, her eyes strayed to the mirror, specifically the earrings in her ears. She discovered them in her ears when she'd first gotten cleaned up after her ordeal, and her aunt, who'd been sticking around to help any way she could, had told her that they were a gift, and that they were waterproof so she could keep them on while she bathed. Strangely though, even though she hadn't said it, it almost sounded like Bridgette insisted that she keep them on. It didn't matter to her though. She rather liked them quite a bit. Looking a bit closer in the mirror, they almost appeared to be a ladybug pattern, except for the fact that the spots were a dark bluish color, and the material looked like fish scales encased in resin. They reminded her of cabochon jewelry, and while she didn't want her aunt to think that giving her gifts would help her overcome her ordeal, she had to admit that they were a nice gift to have, especially when Bridgette mentioned that she'd made them herself.

Happy to know that Bridgette was a crafter like her and that they had something in common, Marinette finished getting ready and made her way downstairs, a blush starting to make it's way onto her cheeks. She would be starting school the next day, and even though she was supposed to get a list of books in the mail, she hadn't. More than likely it was due to the change in addresses. Luckily for her, Adrien had been there when she and Bridgette were discussing the problem, and offered to take her to get her books, and any school supplies she would need since he'd had a day off.

At first she balked at the idea that he was using his day off to help her, but he insisted it was fine, and that he was happy to help. She suspected that he still felt guilty about what happened at Le Chat Noir, but she wouldn't bring up her suspicions and just accept the help. Bridgette had been thrilled, since she couldn't have taken Marinette herself, as she had a diving expedition scheduled for that day.

"Marinette! How are you feeling? Are you sure you're up for today?" Bridgette said as she sat a large mesh bag down. She was wearing a wetsuit, and appeared to be ready to go on her dive.

"I'm okay aunt Bridgette. I feel fine! No aches, no pains, no bumps and no bruises. I'm totally fine."

Bridgette sighed in relief and hugged Marinette. "Sorry, I know I'm going overboard with the whole worry thing, but you have to understand that I can't lose you too..."

Marinette nodded, and hugged her back. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Seemingly satisfied, Bridgette released Marinette from the hug and looked over her outfit. "Well you look nice."

Marinette blushed and self consciously brushed her hands over her clothes; A pair of high waisted jean shorts, a peach colored lacy top, finished off with a pair of similarly colored sneakers. Nothing fancy, but nice enough to go out and wander around town comfortably.

"I-It's nothing special. It's just an outfit."

"One that you made, I assume?"

Marinette blinked in surprise, then blushed, eyeing her clothing with a small frown. "You can tell it's handmade huh? Looks like I need to practice on my skills..."

Bridgette chuckled, distracting Marinette from picking out flaws in her handiwork. "Marinette, it's _because_ of your skills that I know it's handmade. Clothing like yours stand out because it's original, and your creativity and style shine through any and everything you make. You do great work Marinette, have faith in yourself."

Marinette smiled. "Thanks aunt Bridgette, but it's still just an outfit. Nothing fancy or special about it."

"Maybe the outfit isn't special, but I'm sure the _boy_ you're wearing it for is. And that makes it worth it." She said then winked, making the already red faced girl even more embarrassed.

" Aunt Bridgette!"

She laughed and patted the embarrassed girl on her shoulder. "Relax, I know what that's like. Besides, there's nothing wrong with sprucing yourself up from time to time for someone special." She said, a sort a far away look in her eyes.

Marinette shook her head in amusement. It was more than obvious that Bridgette had some kind of history with someone, more than likely Felix if one were to even glance at the way they act toward each other.

"Well," Bridgette said, snapping out of whatever she'd been thinking. "You're gonna need some money for those books, and of course some spending money for the day. Can't be all work and no play right?" Bridgette said, as she went to her purse for her wallet. She then began pulling several 200 and 500 euro notes, enough that it equaled to well over two thousand euros.

"Aunt Bridgette! That's way too much!"

"Ah ah, not a word. I happen to know that buying a tablet is one of the requirements beside the books. Not only that, but I have plenty of money. Plenty. The things I bring up from my dives, minus what the government takes, are actually really valuable. Stuff that high paying collectors are dying to get their hands on. Now, besides my diving stuff, I haven't had anything to spend all this money on and I've been waiting a long time to be able to spoil you. Please let me do this for you? I promise, it's not any burden on me, and it's something I'm happy to do for you. If you want something, please don't feel like you can't ask."

Marinette wanted to cry.

She wanted to so bad, but she wouldn't.

Because she knew that it would only upset Bridgette and she didn't want that.

So she smiled and nodded, and accepted the money and a hug from her very generous aunt, just as a horn blared from outside.

"Oh that must be him, tell him I said hi, and I expect you to come back with arms full of shopping bags young lady." Bridgette said, giving her a jokingly stern look.

Marinette giggled and nodded, before waving goodbye and heading out the door to Adrien's truck.

...

As it turns out, her aunt had been right. The books and the tablet had costed her a little over a thousand euros, but it still left her plenty to shop around with.

And luckily for her, Adrien was more than happy to show her all of the best parts of the shopping district.

By the time late afternoon had arrived, they'd spent several hours together, not that the charming boy seemed to mind. He appeared to genuinely enjoy his time with Marinette, if the amount of smiles seemed to be any clue.

By this time, they were already heading back to the truck. The sun was already beginning to set, and both teenagers' arms were heavy with shopping bags, mostly Marinette's. Adrien didn't seem to be too interested in getting anything for himself, but the things he were interested in he immediately bought like it would disappear if he didn't. After they have finished shopping they realized that they are getting hungry.

"Hey, why don't we go to eat at Le Chat Noir? It's nearby."

Marinette's face immediately pales, and he begins to reassure her. "Don't worry, Chloe won't be there. Plagg officially banned her from his restaurant after what she did to you. He always found her annoying, but he couldn't really ban her before because she didn't do anything wrong. But after she assaulted you, he said that she crossed the line and that she was no longer welcome."

While that was a relief, he could tell that Marinette wasn't fully convinced.

So he pulled out his trump card.

"Plagg said the next time you come you get a free meal, since you didn't get to eat when you came last time. Please come?" He said, even going so far as to make a sad pleading face.

Damn him, Marinette thought. No one should be allowed to make a face that cute.

Finally convinced by his antics, she sighed. "Okay okay, I'll come. I just hope that no one will remember me after last time..."

His expression changed from comically pleading, to a sad understanding one. "Marinette, no one is gonna laugh at you. If anything, they'll sympathize with you."

"What do you mean?" She said, thoroughly puzzled. Usually when someone was humiliated in public, people laughed. It was human nature.

He looked sheepish then, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Look, this isn't the first time that Chloe's been banned from a place of business, or that she's humiliated someone in public. She does it a lot. A LOT. She's spoiled, and thinks she can get away with her behavior just because her father is the mayor. She's always been like that, and that's why most people wouldn't laugh. Because more than likely, Chloe has done it to them to. Unlike most people, I still think there's good in her. It's just, buried...Deep, deep, deep, deep, _deep_ , down...Anyway, we should get going." He said, heading back to the truck that was parked a few feet away.

In most cases, people would think that Adrien was stupid to still be friends with Chloe. And she had to admit, so did she. Chloe was horrible, and took pleasure in stepping on others as if they were beneath her, which she more than likely thought most people were. But, after he explained everything, in a strange way, Marinette began to understand. She realized that Adrien wasn't oblivious to Chloe's behavior, or that he even ignored it. To be honest, he was probably the only one more aware of her ways than anyone else. Adrien wasn't standing by Chloe because he felt guilty or out of some obligation to her. He stayed by her side because he was trying to help her, to get her to change. To be the friend he thought she could be.

It was at that moment, that Marinette realized just how kind, courageous, and thoughtful Adrien Agreste really was.

It was also at that moment that she realized she'd fallen in love with him.

A beeping horn startled her out of her thoughts as Adrien pulled up in front of her and stuck his head out of the window. "Hey, you alright? You just spaced out."

Mentally shaking herself out of whatever trance she'd been in, she nodded. "Yeah I'm fine. I just...got caught up in my thoughts."

"Oh, okay." He said as she got in and they pulled off. "Were they at least good thoughts?"

She paused for a moment, before she smiled. "Yeah, they were."

As they pulled off, they were unaware that someone had snapped a picture of them together.

They knew that Chloe wouldn't be happy with this recent development.

Not at all.

...

As it turns out, Adrien had been right about no one laughing at her. In fact, no one even glanced up at her arrival. And as it turns out, Nino was also working again that night and decided that he would serve them. He apologized for what happened last time, to which Marinette quickly absolved him of any blame. She was, however, surprised, when a tall thin man wearing all black came over to their table. Adrien however, was not surprised and quickly introduced her. "Marinette, this is Pierre Moreau. But everyone calls him Plagg."

Marinette quickly stood up and began to smooth out her clothes, wishing she'd worn a dress instead of shorts, but was reassured by Plagg. "Relax kid, no need for swanky introductions."

Marinette sat back down, her cheeks slightly red in embarrassment.

"Plagg, this is-"

"Marinette, I know. You talk about her so much I'd be surprised if I didn't know everything about her."

It was Adrien's turn to blush then, his face turning cherry red in embarrassment as he attempted to defend himself. "I-I do _NOT_ talk about her all the time."

"Yeah, you kinda do bro." Nino said, as he came by to sit down their food.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side Nino!"

"Who told you that lie?" He said, as walked away, snickering when Adrien's jaw dropped in mild shock.

Adrien sighed, head falling in his hands exaggeratedly. "Everyone's turning against me."

"Well," Plagg said. "At least she won't."

Plagg gestured to Marinette, just before Nino came back to whisper something in his ear. "Ah, Tikki needs me in the kitchen. Adrien, I'll see you tomorrow. Marinette, thanks for coming back. I just wanted you to know that what happened wasn't your or Adrien's fault, and I hope you'll keep coming back." Plagg then turned and walked towards the kitchen.

After Plagg left, Marinette reached off and gently grasped Adrien's hand. Adrien, who had gone quiet with shock, turned towards her. "He's right you know. You're not responsible for what happened, Adrien. I don't want you to even try to take responsibility for her just because you're her friend. Her actions are her own, and the only one who should take responsibility for them is her."

She smiled, then, and Adrien found that he couldn't resist smiling back at her. She was right. Both her and Plagg actually. Chloe had always done things like this, just like he'd told Marinette. He shouldn't have to feel responsible for her. He wasn't her father, he couldn't control her. He just wished desperately that things could be different.

He grasped Marinette's hand back and gave a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, lets dig in shall we? Can't let this good food go to waste."

They both began to eat, unaware that someone was again watching them. However, this person was different, much angrier, and quite surprised to see the girl they thought they'd gotten rid of, right back where they shouldn't be.

With the boy they wanted.

...

As he drove her back home, Marinette turned to Adrien, remembering what Plagg and Nino said back at Le Chat Noir. "So...You talk about me a lot?"

Predictably, Adrien's face once again turned red as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...I guess I do talk about you from time to time..."

"From time to time, eh?" She said as she grinned. "All good things I hope."

"Of course! I wouldn't dream of saying anything bad about you Marinette. Not that you've done anything bad for me to say anyway, which I wouldn't, I mean..."

Marinette knew that if she didn't stop him, Adrien would continue to ramble, so she patted his shoulder. "Hey, I was only kidding. Besides, it's nice to be talked about, nicely I mean. After my dad died, all anyone could say about me was how they felt bad about his death and that they pitied me."

Adrien snorts in disgust. "Yeah I know what you mean. After my mom disappeared, all anyone could do was coddle me like I didn't know what was going on. All it did was piss me off. Not like my father cared. He was too busy running his fashion empire to notice that his son was falling apart inside."

Fashion Empire?

"Wait...Adrien, who is your dad?"

He looked at her, slightly astonished. "You didn't know? My dad is Gabriel Agreste, the famous fashion designer."

Gabriel Agreste, he says so nonchalantly.

Like her entire world wasn't exploding from the realization that she was friends with a former world class model, who was also the son of her fashion idol.

She is brought out of internally watching her world explode in a fiery supernova, when she hears Adrien sigh. "You're not gonna freak out, are you? Please don't freak out. This always happens when people figure out who I am..."

"Huh? Oh! Oh no I'm not freaking out. I'm just...surprised I didn't figure it out sooner. I mean, your dad is my idol. But, I guess if he's as bad as you say he is, I shouldn't ever meet him. I know that he's always been kind of stoic from what I saw and read in the media, but I never thought he was that bad...I guess that's why you stopped modeling, right?"

Adrien sighed in relief, and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I have a lot of money saved up from modeling, but I don't like to use it. It reminds me of my dad. I like it better to spend the money that I get from working at Le Chat Noir in the restaurant. It, kinda makes me feel like I really earned it. Don't get me wrong, modeling is work, but it's nothing like the kind of work that normal people do. Its tiring, your feet hurt all the time, and the smell of Camembert is nauseating, but I wouldn't have it any other way, you know?"

Marinette nodded. "I know exactly what you mean. I love fashion, it's my life blood. But it's hard work. Learning how to sew, pricking your fingers all the time, and even keeping up with trends and making something that not only you will enjoy, but others will enjoy and even want to buy and wear. Its a bunch of late nights, blood, sweat, and tears, and ripped fabric and failed projects, but it's so worth it. It's how my dad felt about our bakery, though I don't know what my mom did. In fact, I don't even know how she died. No one ever told me. All they said is that she disappeared. I guess since it's been such a long time, she's presumed dead..."

Adrien went silent for a moment before suddenly smiling brightly. "You know, school is coming up tomorrow. Are you looking forward to your last year, because I know I am. I love going to school and everything, but the homework is murder! Am I right?"

Marinette was at first puzzled at his sudden change in subject, but then realized that he more than likely didn't want to talk about his mom, and she accepted that. She nodded, agreeing with him, and as they talked about more happier things, Marinette was happy and sad that she and Adrien had more things in common than she initially realized.

...

Just like she thought, Bridgette had been delighted at the amount of bags that Marinette had brought home with her. Adrien had even needed to assist her in bringing the bags inside the house, which earned a lot of eyebrow wagging from Bridgette when he left. After she put everything in her room, she was happy to finally take a shower and rest her weary feet. The shopping trip had been a blast, but her dogs were barking, and even standing in the shower was almost not worth it. But she felt sweaty and wanted to be clean, so into the shower she went. As she removed her clothes and her earrings, she pondered about what Adrien had said about his mother's disappearance, as the realization that she truly didn't know what happened to her mother hit her. She'd asked as she'd grown older what happened to her mother, but her father would always say that he didn't know.

She knew for a fact that her father would have never hurt her mother. He was too heartbroken over her not being there. He did, however hide the fact that she had an aunt and that she'd been fighting him for custody for most of her life. So maybe her mother's disappearance or death could be attributed to her family? As she stepped into the warm spray of the shower, she realized that she might finally be able to get some answers if she asked Bridgette. She had obviously been close to her mother, and could probably tell her what lead up to her dis-

Marinette's thoughts suddenly cut off as she felt her skin begin to tingle. The tingle began to get stronger, and before she knew it, she'd fallen to the shower floor, nearly hitting her head. She began looking around, thinking that she'd slipped on something, before she caught sight of her legs.

Or what should have been her legs.

Instead of her legs, what she saw was a long tail, covered in silver fish scales with large fin at the end. Further observation showed that she had larger fins on the sides of her hips. From the shower light above her, she could see tiny scales that seemed to rest underneath her skin all over that were clear in color, but had a iridescent shine to them. The same went for the tail. On her breasts, each sported a patch of the same silver scales that were on the tail.

As she took in the details of her new form she realized that laying on her back hurt, and tried to sit up. As she moved, the tail also moved, more than likely because Marinette was trying to use her legs to assist her. Except legs didn't move. Because she no longer had legs. She had a tail.

Meaning it was attached to her.

Meaning that she had a freakin' tail and it moved and it was her tail and she was a freak and ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

She screamed.

She didn't know how long she was screaming, but she was abruptly stopped when Bridgette burst into the bathroom, the vase from the table outside the bathroom in her hands as she looked around. "Marinette?! What's going on-"

When her eyes laid on Marinette, instead of freaking out, like she was supposed to do, in Marinette's opinion, she instead sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Oh boy...Marinette, sweetie, didn't I tell you to keep those earrings on? Now you've fallen and hurt yourself-"

"Why aren't you freaking out?!"

"Huh?" Bridgette answered dumbly, before realizing what Marinette said. She smiled sadly, then sighed and began taking off the metal dolphin studs that she seemed to favor. Once that was done, she placed them next to Marinette's earrings on the bathroom sink and opened the shower door.

"Move over sweetie, this is gonna be a tight fit." She said as she squeezed in next to Marinette and sat beside her, letting the warm water splash on her skin, clothes and all.

"Aunt Bridgette!" Marinette said, trying to cover her chest. No use covering her legs since she didn't have them anymore. "What are you doing? Why are you sitting-"

Marinette was cut off when the same change that she had undergone, suddenly happened to Bridgette. Instead of loose hair, however, Bridgette's hair was suddenly transformed into pig tails and adorned with small sea shells. Sensing her shock, Bridgette looked at her. "I'm sitting, sweetie, because doing this when you're standing up really sucks."

...

AU: To those who are asking about TBN, don't worry! I'm currently working on the chapter summaries. I'm trying my best not to write myself into a corner so things have been taking a while. Don't worry, expect Chapter 11 soon! Thank you all for waiting!


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